All the Kings Men
by Trimcoast 001
Summary: Mustangs men have always been there for him & he for them; but when trouble occurs in the form of Drachman spies, what lengths will the team be driven to protect themselves, each other & possibly all of Amestris? havoc hawkeye fuery breda falman elrics!
1. Chapter 1

here we go, i don't own diddly, and this story is for fun. It takes place before the story arch, but the team is already in Central. lets see how it goes, shall we?

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Roy Mustang, flame alchemist extraordinaire and youngest ever to have risen through the ranks as Colonel, was having a bad day.

'No' he thought to himself mornfully, 'that would be a greivous understatement. I am having a **very** bad day.'

The Colonel exhaled heavily through his nose and slumped lazily over his desk. Tilting his head up slightly, he glared at the clock that hung on the far wall of the office that he and his subordinates inhabited during work hours. The time piece read ten o' clock in the morning and once again Mustang sighed, expelling breath from his nostrils and earning him some amused looks, directed from two of his men Jean Havoc and Heymans Breda.

"How could the day be so bad and it still be so early?" he asked no one in particular; it came as no suprise when he received no response aside from the muffled snicker sounding from Havocs desk. Thinking back over the morning's events, Mustang considered what it was that had made his day so foul…

'Well, there was last night' said a reasonable voice in his head.

Visibly wincing, Mustang had decided that getting into a drinking contest on a Sunday night was already a bad idea, especially when you had an early work day the following morning; getting into a drinking contest with Breda however… not one of Mustangs more solid plans.

Once again, the colonel raised his head from his desk, this time to shoot a bleary glare towards his strategic specialist. The built redhead was not even suffering! It was inhuman that a single man, no matter the size, could hold that much liquor **that **well and not seem to feel it in the morning.

Sensing his officers eyes on him, Breda looked up from his desk work and gave Mustang a cheery wave and a smile. "How are ya holding up boss?" he asked nonchalantly. Mustang eyes darkend in annoyance, growling some indistinguishable curse words he once again rested his throbbing head back on to his desk.

Returning to his mental account of his day so far, Roy thought of how he had woken up with a pounding headache; it would seem as though the after effects of his night out were hopeing to cling to his brain for as long as possible. Then of course he had been unable to find his officers uniform, which turned out to be buried under a mass amount of laundry that he had meant to complete over the weekend but had neglected to take care of. While searching for said uniform, he had no time to prepare breakfast or his habitual cup of coffee and, as his luck would have it, the weather was horrible; Rain had claimed the sky.

Even when he had arrived at Central HQ, things had continued to go downhill. He had been called into a meeting with his superiors instantly upon his arrival to discuss a report received from Briggs that Drachman spies had possibly crossed the Amestris border. As if that was not bad enough news, once he had finally managed to get to his office Havoc had already consumed the last of the coffee that usually brewed in the office and had forgotten to start a new pot, the phone lines were down on his half of the building due to a technical disaster that had apparently happened at a military outpost several miles outside of Central, and he had received a telegram stating that the Fullmetal alchemist would be returning to Central sooner then anticipated.

At that last thought, Mustang cringed. It wasn't that he really disliked Fullmetal, in fact, he was pretty attached to the kid. No, it was just that he was in no mood to deal with a disobedient shrimp that had severe anger issues and was always on the lookout for a fight.

The more he thought about it, he had to give the kid credit; He was just as good at taking a blow as he was at giving one; it was pretty entertaining, especially when he got really riled up. Roy suddenly came to the realization that as much as he hated to admit it, having Edward visit might not be such a bad thing… at the very least it would distract him from his own misery.

While immersed in his thoughts, the door to the office swung open and in walked two more of Mustang's subordinates, Warrant Officer Vato Falman and Roy's First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye. Both officers were carrying thick folders of paperwork that needed completing. Falman, who held the majority of the two piles divided his mass into four even stacks and promptly dumped a quarter of the load onto his own desk, followed by Havoc's and then Breda's.

Ignoring the protests and groans from the two men, Vato continued to the last desk in the room which was currently unoccupied; Setting down the last of the files, the warrant officer looked around the office and asked in mild interest "Where is Sergeant Major Fuery?"

"The boss sent him out to fix the telephone system," Havoc responded while shuffling through the mass of paperwork he had just received, "the whole communications grid is down on our wing, he'll be back to meet up with us for lunch in the mess hall though."

"If he's smart, he'll ditch once he is done," put in Breda.

Hawkeye, who had divided her pile of files in half and had deposited the larger of the two stacks onto Mustangs desk (much to the annoyance of the Colonal), shot a quick glare at the portly man.

"Unlike you Heymans," she stated, "Kain does not shirk his work at the first available moment."

"yeah, that's why I said if he was smart", Breda responded under his breath.

Roy cleared his throat and the banter ceased,

"Well, since you are al here, I may as well tell you; Fullmetal and his brother are going to be coming back to Central early."

Riza frowned, "How early sir? Did something happen to them?"

"no Lieutenant," he responded, "they simply did their inspection and finished on time, for once… they will be here sometime this afternoon. Once they arrive and report in, and Sergeant Major Fuery returns, I expect you all to be present so I can debrief you meeting I had today regarding an infiltration from Drachma."

At this, all the members of Mustangs office exchanged significant glances; Havoc was the first to speak up.

"An infiltration from Drachma? When did we get wind of this?"

"well, I suppose I will just tell you once Fullmetal and Fuery get here, wont I?" Roy snapped, his memories of his bad morning resurfacing, as well as his annoyance toward his second lieutenant for having taken the remainder of the Coffee.

It was then that Hawkeye intervened, "All right sir, we are all very interested in what you have to tell us, in the meantime, why don't we all get started on the work we have in front of us. Jean, go make some more coffee."

The tall second lieutenant began to protest, but spotted the hard look that was being directed his way. Grumbling under his breath, he stood and stretched his arms above his head, released a large yawn then shambled over to the small table in the back corner of the office where the coffee pot sat.

Mustang smiled, amused at Havocs annoyance and pleased that his first Lieutenant knew him so well; Hawkeye caught his eye and sighed,

"Really sir, you shouldn't let such petty things affect your mood so much."

Thinking over Fullmetal's impending arrival and still smirking over Havocs attitude, Roy decided that it might not be such a bad day after all.

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so there you have it; Chapter one of AtKM, let me know what you think... plot is bound to develop soon. promise.


	2. Chapter 2

i feel i should note, this will not be yaoi; just not my thing. don't own nuthin!

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Kain Fuery glared at the switch box he was currently working on, frowned, then rummaged around in the tool chest that sat on the ground beside him.

He had set out to repair his floors communication grid at around nine thirty that morning; taking a quick glance at his wristwatch, he saw that it now read eleven seventeen. He had told Havoc and Breda that he would be back sometime before noon; evidently, that was not going to happen. Longingly, he thought of the lunch he was likely going to miss and silently cursed the wild goose chase he had been sent on.

It was not that the job of fixing the communication grid was difficult, oh no. Kain knew what he was doing and took pride in his work; it was just that he was immensely frustrated at the lack of organization surrounding the problem. Reaching down, he picked up the plans regarding the grid that he had previously deposited next to his toolbox. Unfolding the paper, he once again went over what he was supposed to be doing.

Fuery could not help but feel as though Central's system was somewhat outdated, and here was the proof in front of him. Central command had two main communication systems: the first was the primary one located in the bowls of the main building; the second system a back up, and each wing's connection point was located at six separate outposts, all residing several miles outside of the city.

It had been storming pretty badly all through the night and somehow the primary system had gotten shut down. Naturally, the backup then came into use, but for whatever reason the connection to east wing of Central (where Mustangs unit worked) had not yet come to life. The primary system would need at least a day to kick back into gear, so Kain had been sent out to fix the backup for his office.

Unfortunately, the plans he held describing the proper care and maintenance of the backup grid, had neglected to state what outpost was the connection point for which wing of Central.

Fuery, (who had borrowed a military jeep and was well on his way outside the city when he had discovered this tidbit of information) had taken it in stride and decided the best plan was to visit the nearest station and ask which post he should head to; either that or call Central's information office and figure it out from there. With luck, he would make it back in plenty of time to meet with the guys for lunch!

What he had not counted on was the guard he encountered at the first office.

The man had been of no help whatsoever, and did not even know which wing his connection point was linked to. Claiming he "just guarded the place", he had gotten very irritable when Kain had asked to use his phone. After hassling him about it, he finally agreed, only to have the connection cut off in the middle of his call.

The soldier had blamed Fuery for the system failure and demanded he fix it. Figuring he might as well, the Sergeant Major set to work. Opening the connection box, he found that the lost call was the fault of a loose wire; but more to his surprise, be had found a small black mechanism caught in the tangle of wires.

'A Bug?' he thought, 'that's odd…'

After his discovery, he had asked the annoying soldier if anyone other than himself had come to take a look at the network,

"Yeah," the man replied with a bored look on his face. "He showed up yesterday; said he was gonna make sure the system was alright incase the storm knocked out the main grid."

Fuery nodded, mulling over this disturbing piece of information. He decided to keep his discovery quiet; he certainly did not think that this soldier had anything to do with planting the bug.

'No,' he thought to himself, 'Though he probably didn't even bother to check and see if our mysterious "repairman" was military personnel…'

After he had left that particular outpost, Kain decided that it would be best if he called on the other stations to see whether or not they had the same visitor. The second and third posts he checked had proven to be smoother visits then the first. To his dismay however, he had discovered wire taps in both locations and the soldiers he encountered confirmed that a man had come the previous day to "proof the system".

"Well, at least I finally found out which outpost it is that I need to get to," the young officer said aloud to himself as he remembered the directions given to him from the last guard he had met with.

Grateful for the help, he packed up his things and walked out to the car. It was still pouring rain. Wiping water from his glasses, Kain placed his toolbox in the passenger side of the jeep he had borrowed and went to get into the driver's seat. He was typically very good natured, so he couldn't help but feel mildly disoriented at the negative feelings that were creeping over him.

"Who would want to tap into the communications grid?" he asked no one in particular; he knew it was a slightly foolish question to ask. Amestris had plenty of enemies, both within and outside the country. Still, whoever was trying to get information was not very good at it; reaching into his pocket and pulling out the three bugs he had found, Kain grimly thought that if the person really knew what they were doing, they would have bugged the primary system, and not the backup.

Deciding that he should finish his work as soon as possible so that he could report what he had found, Fuery started the jeep and headed out to the next post. The soldier he had just spoken to assured him that the next station would be the one he was looking for and Kain was very glad for that.

The drive there was uneventful and it was not long before the small building came into view. As he pulled up beside it, a sudden feeling of unease washed over him and he paused, leaving the car's engine still running. Fuery was naturally a nervous person but being in the military had forced him to learn to rely more on his brain then his feelings… Still, something was not right. He sat in the car for longer then was necessary before convincing himself how foolish he would look if he went back to headquarters without completing his task simply because "he had a bad feeling." Sighing, he gathered his toolbox once again and exited the jeep.

The rain had continued to pour down in heavy sheets, and the young officer sprinted to the door of the station to avoid getting wet as much as possible. He knocked once, and for a brief moment could hear a heavy scraping noise and the sound of a door slam. His feeling of unease grew and he was once again considering leaving when a deep throated "Come in," sounded. Opening the door, Fuery quickly took in his surroundings and found nothing to be out of place. Still not letting his guard down, he turned to face the soldier who kept watch.

He was a tall man with broad shoulders, hard eyes and a dark mustache; 'he should get a uniform that fits him better' Kain found himself thinking as he looked up at the large man who had several inches of bare wrist showing from the arms of his jacket . Blinking out of his reverie, he introduced himself,

"I am Sergeant Major Kain Fuery," he said; "I'm here to fix the backup communication lines."

The man raised a thick dark eyebrow, looked him up and down, and then curtly nodded, pointing to the wall where the communications box sat. Kain hurried over to where he pointed and set to work; he quickly and easily repaired the damaged system and in no time had the thing working like new. Pleased with his work, and glad to know that he would just make it back in time for lunch with the guys, Fuery began to put his tools away before realizing that he had not spotted a wire tap in this particular box. Puzzled, he once again went to look at the mass of wires and knobs he had just repaired; sure enough, there was nothing there.

Not positive whether to feel relieved or concerned by this discovery, Fuery turned to talk to the guard.

"Excuse me, but I wanted to ask if someone else, aside from myself has come to take a look at this?" he gestured to the box.

"No, no one has come," replied the man hurriedly, a slight accent coloring his speech.

For the first time, Kain took a good look at him, something about him was not quite right;

"Are you sure?" he asked again.

The soldier gazed at him with a cold, calculating stare, "Yes, I am very sure. Why do you ask?"

Deciding that he may as well warn the man, Fuery began to explain.

"Well, I have the suspicion that there is an imposter disguised as military personnel who is attempting to tap into the communications grid; I have already found and disabled several of his bugs, but you should know that if anyone tries to…."

He paused, wondering why the soldier, whose face just a moment ago been impasssve, had begun to break into a smile. Suddenly, something clicked in his brain.

"It's you, isn't it?" he asked cautiously, the man simply broadened his grin in response. Kain felt a familiar nervousness creep into his stomach, "who are you?" he ventured; the man slowly pulled off the too small jacket he had been wearing and began to speak, no longer bothering to hide his accent.

"If you must know master sergeant, I am a spy hailing from Drachma, and yes, those were my bugs that you discovered."

Deciding that now would be a good time to leave, Kain slowly began edging to the door, "How did you manage to get so close to Central?" he asked warily.

"My men and I are very good at what we do," the man calmly explained, "We do not leave loose ends, which unfortunately, you are."

At this statement, Fury shot for the door only to have his way blocked by the larger man. Turning on his heel, he shot for the second room that was typically used as a break-room for the guards. He flung the door open then slammed it hard behind him. Almost instantly, he wished he hadn't; there on the floor was the original guard stripped of his uniform. His neck was sliced open and blood pooled around his dead body.

'Well, I suppose this answers the question as to why the guys' uniform looked so small,' he thought.

Swallowing back the bile that welled up in his throat, Fuery heaved his weight against the door and frantically tried to think of how to escape. He could feel the man on the other side of the door pushing to get in; acting fast and without thinking, he stepped to the side and released his hold on the exit, letting the man come crashing in. Jumping over the figure now sprawled on the floor, Kain raced outside to jeep, thrilled that his spur of the moment plan actually worked.

He was nearly to the car when without warning, there was an enormous impact with the back of his skull; stars exploded in his vision and he felt his glasses fly off of his face. Falling forward, he attempted to take contol of the situation by scooping up a lage handful of mud, (courtesy of the rain) and fling it into his attackers face.

Fuery's vision was blurry and the back of his head felt like it was on fire; still he could see the Drachman spy stumble as he attempted to remove the mud from his eyes. His military training then swinging into gear, the young mad kicked out and landed a solid hit into his attackers midsection, causing the spy to double over and gasp in pain.

Struggling to stand, Kain once again made for the jeep, all the while hoping that his kick had been enough to keep the man down. He was nearly to the car when the man attacked again with renewed vigour; lunging forward, he grabed the back of Fuery's unifom and yanked him backwards. In the momentum, the Sergeant Major twisted and landed a strong punch to the taller man's jaw; the grip was released and again he made for his escape.

The spy was not done though; regaining his balance, he ran after Kain and tackled him to the muddy floor. Pinning the younger man beneath him, the Drachman raised his fists and begain mercilessly beating the soldier. With his arms stuck unde the weight of the spy, Fuery could neither attack nor defend himself. With his blury vision begining to darken and the taste of blood filling his mouth, some part of Kains consiousness disappointedly thought 'Guess i won't be meeting up with the guys.'

A heavy fist was raised again and struck him in the temple; his world went black; it continued to rain.

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attempting to write a character is alot harder then i thought... still, its my first story and all, so maybe i will get better at this thing...

feedback would be great!


	3. Chapter 3

so here is chapter three! i own nothing... also thank you **maryh10000**! you are very encouraging, (i wish i was more of techie then i am, but still, i know my way around a computer!)

* * *

Jean Havoc, Heymans Breda and Vato Falman strode into Central's mess hall. It was twelve thirty and the room was full of hungry soldiers waiting in line to get fed; today's menu consisted of a salad, meatloaf, roasted vegetables and a baked honey bun. Breda looked eagerly to the head of the line before casting a quick glance around the bustling room.

"Didn't Fuery say he was gonna meet us already?"

Havoc shrugged, "I wouldn't worry, he'll probably be here any minute…"

"Fuery may not be here," said Falman with a slight smile on his face, "but look who is," he raised his hand and pointed across the hall.

Two of the large double doors had swung open revealing an enormous suit of armor and a small boy with blond hair. He was wearing a bright red cloak, holding a suitcase in one hand and appeared to be soaking wet. Water dripped off of the end of his cloak and pooled around his feet; judging by the look in his eyes, he was not happy either.

Havoc and Breda's faces simultaneously lit up with large smiles; waving their hands in the air, they began calling out across the hall "Boss! Hey boss! Over here!" "Ed, Al! Come ere' you guys!"

Both the suit of armor and the kid jerked their heads at the sound of their names being called. With out needing further persuasion, they headed over to the group of men.

"Hey Chief, how's it going?" Havoc asked once the boys were within normal hearing range.

"Don't ask," the boy responded.

"Brother has been having a bad day," said the suit of armor,

"Ha! Well you and Mustang are certainly on the same page today," laughed Breda causing Ed to shoot a venomous glare at the sturdy man; "how are you doing Al?" he continued.

"Hm? Oh I am fine, thanks for asking lieutenant," responded the armor in a pleasant voice.

"Come on," Havoc goaded, "what's eating ya full metal?"

"Nothing lets just get food," the boy moved forward and deposited his suitcase at an empty table before heading off to grab a tray and stand in line.

Al watched his older brother head off before leaning over and whispering to the three men still beside him, "We couldn't get a cab so we had to walk in the rain…"

"Is that it?" asked Falman surprised.

"Well, he did get called short again while we were at the station."

"Oohhh," said the three men in unison, understanding dawning in their eyes.

"Well," said Breda clapping his hands together in an official fashion, "now that we have that all figured out, what say we follow the chiefs command and get a bite to eat?"

Without further ado, the three soldiers and suit of armor moved to catch up with the blond. Soon the group was seated at a table, their trays laden with hot food set before them (aside from Alphonse, of course). They then struck up an easy conversation.

"So, how did your trip go?" inquired Falman,

"Eh, it was alright," answered Edward.

"What did Mustang send you guys out there to do?" asked Havoc in-between mouthfuls of vegetable;

"Psh, nothing important or relevant!" snapped Fullmetal.

"That's not true brother," implored Alphonse, "those people were grateful for our help!" turning to the three soldiers before him, the suit of armor began filling them in on the brothers' most recent journey.

"It was this small town named Reul. Apparently, a novice alchemist was passing through and decided that he could help improve the area with his alchemy. Unfortunately, he wasn't very good and a lot of his work began falling apart as soon as he left the town."

"Pretty much, all we did was repair work," huffed Ed. "Fixing buildings, bridges and roads;" he paused in his explanation, and then slammed a heavy fist down on the table causing the dishes to rattle. "Damn that bastard Mustang, who does he think we are? Janitors?"

"I am sure he does not Edward," said a feminine voice behind him, "I happen to know that he thinks very highly of you and your brothers abilities."

Turning to see who it was, Ed smiled, "Hello Lieutenant," he and Al simultaneously greeted.

"Hello Edward, Hello Alphonse," Hawkeye responded as she set down her lunch tray and took a seat next to the boys. "Did you just arrive?"

"Yes" answered Al as his brother began to focus on his food, "only about fifteen minutes ago."

"Well, I am glad to see that you both are back safe and sound" responded the lieutenant with a slight smile.

Looking up from his meal, Breda cast a quick glance around, "Lieutenant, where's the Colonel?"

"He decided that he needed to escape the office for a bit and vouched to go out for lunch," Sighed Hawkeye.

"Is he still upset over his bad morning then?" asked Falman;

"Whatever his reason, he should be back within the hour…" There was a steely glint in the snipers eye and the soldiers knew that she was thinking of the unfinished files that lay on their superiors' desk.

Deciding to change the subject, Breda once again asked a question, this time lowering his voice to just above a whisper.

"Hey, do any of you guys know that girl sitting at the table across from us?" he casually nodded his head toward the item of his curiosity. The result was all of his comrades to turning to spot who he was gesturing to, despite his frenzied protests of "Don't be so obvious!"

Sitting by herself was a small mousey looking girl with a large pair of glasses adorning her nose. She looked young and slightly out of place in her standard issue military uniform; adding to her unique look was a sizable stack of books at her elbow.

"Oh, that's Sheska," explained Al; "She used to work for Mr. Hughes."

"Why are you so curious, huh? Why do you want to know?" Havoc questioned, elbowing his friend in the ribs and raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"Psh, knock it off Hav, and that's not why I was asking…"

"Well, what is it then?" asked a smirking Edward.

"She has stood up then sat down, like five times already;" Breda explained, "and she keeps on looking at us. I think she wants to come over."

"Well, why not? Asked Alphonse; surprisingly enough, it was Ed who turned around and called out to the girl,

"Sheska! Hey Sheska! Why don't you come over and join us?"

The girl started at the sound of her name; she looked up and saw Ed waving her down. Waving back, she then gathered her books and hesitantly walked to the other party's table.

"Hi Ed, Al," she greeted, nervousness evident in her voice, "How are you two doing?"

"Oh, we're fine," said Ed, "you should take a seat."

The bespectacled girl took a quick glance at the group the two brothers were sitting with before quietly joining them. For a long while, no one spoke.

Sensing the awkwardness that was beginning to permeate the atmosphere, Riza decided to step in.

"So, Private Sheska, I understand that you used to work in the library, but got transferred to the main offices instead. What brought that about?"

"Well, I actually got fired from my job at the library," stammered the young woman, "It was quite a fiasco, but Ed and Al helped me get hired here at the offices by introducing me to Mr. Hughes. He set me up right away, and since his death I have continued at my post here."

After her explanation, the air fell quiet and stiff again. This time it was Falman who attempted to start a conversation.

"I suppose that it's pretty strange for someone of your rank to be working here with all of the higher ups; tell me, what exactly do you do?"

"Oh nothing very important," she replied. "I work in filing and records. You see, I have a photographic memory when it comes to anything that I have ever read, so that comes in handy if anything ever gets lost or destroyed. As long as I have read it, I can copy it back perfectly."

The girl was not bragging, but she conveyed an air of quiet confidence.

Falman smiled, "Well you and I are not so different then. I possess the same gift more or less. Anything that I hear gets stored away up here" he tapped the side of his head, "permanently."

"Oh! You must be Vato Falman then?" stated Sheska,

"I'm sorry, did we not introduce ourselves?" Falman asked, embarrassed.

"No no! It's fine!" She replied, waving her hands in front of her, "I know that you are all members of Colonel Mustang's unit, or at least, I thought you were; that's why I was so nervous to come over here, because I couldn't be sure and if I had been wrong then I would have felt so silly! Also, Kain isn't here today and if he was sitting with you then I would have known for sure because he always speaks so highly of you and he told me that he always has lunch with the members of his unit, so I figured that's how I would know who you are; also, he has told me a little bit about each of you, that's how I could guess who you were Mr. Falman; but oh geez, now I sound like a creepy stalker and that's not a good thing; I just need to learn to shut my mouth instead of prattling on like an old wind bag…" taking a deep breath, the girl bowed her head and blushed furiously.

Not quite sure what to say after the young lady's rushed outburst, the group simply blinked, trying to work out all that she had said. Finally, Havoc, who looked slightly stunned, tentatively raised his hand as though he were in school, causing everyone to turn and see what he had to say.

"Well, just so you know, I am second lieutenant Havoc. Jean Havoc…" he then lowered his hand and went back to his meatloaf. Breda rolled his eyes at his friends' antics, "Thank you for that Hav," turning to Sheska, he said "I am second lieutenant Heymans Breda, Intelligence Officer."

"And you got me right," put in Falman, "Warrant Officer Vato Falman, pleased to make your acquaintance."

"I am first lieutenant Hawkeye; and you were correct in your assumption, we are all members of Colonel Mustang's unit."

Sheska looked around at the people that she had just met and smiled, "I am Private Second Class Sheska Liest, and I am very pleased to meet you all."

"Well now that you have all been introduced good and proper," smirked Ed, "I'm curious, how did you say that you knew these guys were under Mustang?"

The girl opened her mouth to speak and then seem to catch herself. Blushing she stammered "A-actually, I have to go. Um. Work. It was very nice getting to know you," she stood and gathered her things, said "thank you for letting me join you!" then ran off.

The group that was left watched her go for a moment before turning back to face each other.

"Well, that was strange," said Havoc as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.

"Wonder what's up with her…" added Ed.

Hawkeye remained silent; a knowing smile playing on her lips, "Come on gentlemen, it's time we went back to the office."

The team prepared to leave, but just as they were heading out Riza stopped and went back in line to get another plate of food. The men politely waited for her and once she joined them, Havoc gently teased her "Geeze Lieutenant, still hungry huh?"

Hawkeye simply glared at him, "I have a feeling someone will need it."

* * *

Roy Mustang sat in his office, his booted feet resting on top of his desk and consequently his unfinished paperwork. He was deep in thought over his short lunch trip; instead of calling on one of the bright and cheery eateries that massed the corners of Central, he had donned his coat and stomped up the wet and muddy street to small unkempt looking bar.

Madame Christmas had neither looked up nor seemed surprised when he had entered and sat down directly in front of her. Instead of offering him a drink of any sorts, she simply asked "What are you looking to feed Roy boy, your stomach or your head?"

"Both would be nice," he had responded, "but the head knowledge would leave me with something to chew on for a lot longer."

Dropping his voice, he had leaned in a little closer. "I assume you know aout the problems we have been having up north with our unwelcome visitors?"

"I may have heard some things,"

"Well I need to know more; think you could use your "resources" to get me some facts: locations, sightings, casualties, leaked information. Anything would be good; my unit has been put in charge of finding these guys, and I would like to finish so I could move on to more… pressing matters."

Madame Christmas had stared hard at him. "when would you want the information by?"

"If possible, the end of the week."

She had glared at him at that, "one week?" she said in gruff disbelief, "don't insult me. I'll have word for you in three days." Roy had smiled.

They said a quiet goodbye and instead of visiting somewhere else with the remainder of his time, his feet had taken him straight back up the muddy road to his office. It was only now that the Colonel realized that he still had not had anything to eat. Growling in annoyance, he hoped the mess hall was still open for lunch; maybe he could run down and grab something.

At that moment, the door to the office swung open and in walked his subordinates. Instantly upon her arrival, Riza came and set a still warm plate of food down on Roy's desk. He hastily removed his feet and flashed her a grateful smile, "I have no idea what I would do without you lieutenant."

"Apparently get mud all over important documents that need to be filed," she responded in a disapproving tone.

Choosing to ignore that statement, Mustang prepared to eat until his attention was diverted again.

"Well, if it isn't Fullmetal back early for once… that's quite a feat." Ed and Al had strode into the room,

"Can it bastard," said the blond as he flung himself onto the office couch. "Give me a chance to let my lunch settle, and then I'll give you my report."

"that's fine by me, I'll give you a **little** time," Ed's eyes flashed and things would have gotten dangerous if Al had not intervened.

"Hello Colonel!" said the suit of armor as he held back his fuming brother, "glad to see that you are doing well!"

"Glad to see you too Al," responded Roy, humor evident in his voice. "I guess since you want to wait on your report Ed, I may as well inform you all about the meeting I had this morning regarding Drachma."

"Drachma?" questioned Ed as he settled down again.

"Yes, apparently there has been an infiltration," said Roy as he began to focus on his food. "Before I start, are we all present and accounted for?" he asked without bothering to look up.

The room was silent for a moment as eveyone realized one of their numbers was not present; finally Havoc answered in a hesitant tone "Um, no... were not."

Pausing, Mustang turned to see which of his subordinates was missing. He looked up at the clock in confusion to see that it now read one forty-five, then back around the room to double check. Finally he asked in a cautious voice, "Where is Sergeant Major Fuery?"

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so, i could find no reference to Sheska's last name so i made one one... it means _read_ in German, so HA! also, this chapter feels funny, i dont know why, but i think its the character interaction... hmm. anywho, reviews are awesome and much appriciated! it makes me want to continue writing, so please, dont be shy and tell me what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

sorry that this update took so long, i had a really hard time with this chapter for some reason... There is one thing that i wanted to note, ""means someone's speech and '' means someone's thoughts... oh! and i also wanted to thank everyone that reviewed; it makes me excited to continue with the story and i really appriciate the encouragement... you guys are great! anyway, i hope you enjoy the chapter :)

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Kain Fuery's consciousness was slowly yet surely beginning to return to him. Small wisps of thought drifted around in his hazy mind and occasionally a worried voice in the back of his head would tell him to open his eyes and get up. Kain defiantly ignored the voice; he was far too comfortable in the grey softness that surrounded him.

Time passed and the voice steadily became louder and more consistent; furrowing his brows in annoyance, the sergeant major decided he may as well try and see where he was.

Blinking groggily, he motioned to raise his hand in hopes of rubbing the sleep out of his eyes when he realized that he couldn't; for some reason, his hands were bound behind him. All of the sudden, memories of his encounter with the Drachman spy rushed like a flood to the forefront of his mind. Startled, his eyes snapped open and he instantly became alert.

Taking in his surroundings, Kain saw that he was sitting on the floor of what looked like a large dilapidated barn. The sound of heavy rain on the roof echoed through the old building, making it seem vastly empty. There were several vacant stalls along one side of the barn and on the other side was a rusty buggy. Stacked in the corner behind the buggy, he could spot a few harnesses, hay bales and broken tools. Old straw littered the floor where he sat, and looking up he could see that his back was leaning against the main support for the loft, his hands securely tied behind it. Water dripped in through gaps in the ramshackle ceiling, as well as dim shafts of light from the outside world; the effect only served to add to dreary atmosphere.

Blinking again to clear his blurry vision, Fuery remembered that his glasses been knocked off in his earlier skirmish. He suddenly became very annoyed; it was bad enough that he had fallen into a trap and had been taken prisoner. The fact that he couldn't even see clearly, well…

'That must be fate laughing at me' he reflected. It was then that another thought took him; 'why **have **I been taken prisoner?' he contemplated…

He distinctly recalled the spy stating that he left no loose ends. The truth that he was still alive both surprised and concerned him. Taking a glance around again, he spotted his blue military coat hanging over the side of one of the stall doors. Underneath it, resting on the floor was his toolbox; it was open and a few of its contents were scattered on the ground.

'I guess they searched me while I was out,' Kain thought to himself, unable to repress a shudder. 'Well that's no good, not that I had anything sneaky on me anyway…'

Fuery sighed at the last thought. He was not violent person and even though it was standard for all soldiers to carry a firearm, he often "conveniently forgot" to do so unless he was directly working on the field or specifically told to carry one by his comrades (who know of his unenthusiastic attitude toward weaponry). That morning, he had not even thought about bringing his gun with him; now he could see why his friends insisted upon it.

'It was just a routine job though!' he thought, 'how should I know that this would happen,' he sighed, feeling the familiar sense of nervousness in the pit of his stomach. Closing his eyes, he breathed deeply.

"No" he said aloud, "I can't lose it, I have to keep it together. Now especially."

"Well, I am very glad to hear that." Said a deep voice behind him; Kain stiffened, surprised at the sudden presence of the man.

He had not heard anyone open the door to the barn (which he could only assume was behind him). Sitting very still, he waited for his captor to appear in his limited vision.

The Drachmann finally strode by him, an air of confidence rolling off of him in waves; "I am also glad to see that you are finally awake my good man. For a while I was under the impression that Artem had been too brutal; his weakness is his temper you see, and you my friend, made him angry."

The man looked similar in build to the spy that Fuery had encountered earlier; however this fellow was older, with grey streaking his black hair. He was also clean shaven, and his dark eyes had a cold countenance despite the amiable tone of his voice. His inconspicuous outfit hid the posture and physique of a trained soldier; no matter, his demeanor demanded respect.

"Who are you?" Fuery asked trying to mask his uncertainty with boldness, "What do you want with me?"

"Now now, master Sergeant, I do not think that you are in the position to be asking questions," the Drachmen replied as though reprimanding a child. "However, I will humor you. My name is Maxim and I am the leader of our small band," he gestured behind Fuery, "my men are outside at the moment, giving us some time to get acquainted. As Artem so generously informed you, we are Drachman spies and until a few days ago, we were hoping to keep our presence quiet. However, things seldom go according to plan, am I right?" he chuckled. "Considering that our hopes in secrecy have been abandoned, we have decided to use this turn of events to our advantage."

He paused, "Of course, this change in plan has made things slightly more complicated, for you especially…. You see, initially, we were hoping to come into Amestris quietly, tap into your communication network and retrieve information regarding the invasion you are planning… now that our presence is known and you so kindly removed our carefully placed taps, we are back at square one…."

"Wait, what do you mean?" interrupted Kain, "Amestris planning an invasion against Drachma? That ridiculous! I know that our two countries don't always see eye to eye, but we have no reason to go to war against you! In fact, with all that's been going in our own country, an outside war would be the last thing on anyone's mind,"

He paused hoping that the man would see reason, "besides, as far as I know, Fort Briggs most recent reports have described our relationships as being stable and"

"Enough." Growled Maxim dangerously, all signs of his recent cordiality were now gone, "Fort Briggs is nothing but a watchtower filled with ravenous dogs. They do nothing but lie in wait, hoping for any opportunity to use their teeth."

For a moment he stared off into to distance, apparently deep in thought. Suddenly his attention snapped back to his captive whose expression displayed great confusion.

"As I was saying before you so rudely interrupted me, my men and I are here for the sole purpose of securing Drachmas forces and weakening yours. The way we do this is with intelligence; staying one step ahead of your opponent will always end in victory. You say that Amestris has no intention of going to war with us but I have heard otherwise; several, very reliable sources have informed us that your Fuhrer has been plotting a mass invasion against us. In any other circumstance, I would laugh at your pathetic attempts to fight against the mighty land of Drachma, however my people are well aware of the bloodlust your Fuhrer King Bradley possesses. Even in the far North, news of Ishval has reached us; we know of the mass annihilation that happened there, and the attempts to eradicate the people whose only crime remains justifiable against heartless murder." The Spy's eyes had a hard gleam in them and a look of distain was frozen on his features.

Fuery found himself looking away, not wanting to hold eye contact with his captor for too long. A chill went up his spine as he realized that whether or not this man believed him, the spy would still do anything in his power to shake Amestris security. Not only to prove the greatness of his own country, but to execute some kind of twisted retribution for a war that he was not even a part of. Kain glanced back up at the man, secretly hoping that he had averted his gaze; no such luck.

Maxim's eyes continued to bore into the sergeant major before he finally stated in a quiet voice "It really is a shame you don't have more rank on you. We could have better used someone who has more rank; still, at the very least you have knowledge. "

At that, the man turned to leave; he was nearly out of Fuery's line of vision when he stopped, "before I go, there was one thing that I was wanting to ask you, and I do hope you answer honestly for your own sake…" he paused and stared directly into his captives eyes, "who is your superior officer?"

Kain blinked in mild surprise; surely this man didn't think that he had so little loyalty. "No one," he blurted, "I work directly in the technical department, I am not involved with the higher ups."

He hoped his lie would be satisfactory; Maxim only smiled wryly, "wrong answer," he responded. "I am sorry, I was hoping you would comply." Ignoring Fuery's earnest protests of "Wait, Where are you going? What are you planning on doing?" the Drachman man continued on to barn door, slamming it shut behind him.

Kain was again left alone in the leaky shelter. Attempting to once more quell the fear growing inside of him, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

'Oh boy,' he thought to himself, 'this is a fine mess I've got myself into.' Thinking about all of the information he had just received, the Sergeant Major decided that he had only one option. Escape; He needed to tell Mustang about Maxim and his men.

'Right… Colonel Mustang…' Kain couldn't let these men know that he was a direct subordinate of the Colonel; if they knew about Ishval and the events that took place there, then they no doubt knew of the so called '**Hero **of Ishval' as well. Maxim had made it obvious that they were hoping Kain was close to a high ranking officer they could use, undoubtedly to extract high intelligence or possibly to use as a bartering piece with the state. If that were the case, Roy Mustang would be a perfect target; all of the Brass knew of the Flame Alchemist's potential and his status as a rising star. No one would want him dead.

Fuery sighed, 'I have to figure a way out of this, and soon. I can't have anyone worry, and if they come looking for me that would put the others and the colonel at risk.' Thinking about his coworkers only strengthened Kain's resolve; 'they have to stay safe,' he thought, 'I won't let any of them get in harm's way on my account.'

Taking a deep breath, Fuery once again became acutely aware of his previous skirmish with the man now identified as Artem. Casting an apprehensive look down at himself, he could see his once pristine uniform was now caked in slowly drying mud. His white shirt that he wore underneath his jacked was covered in both mud and blood; he supposed it must be from his mouth where he could still taste dull copper.

"I guess I look pretty bad," he whispered; shifting to get in a more comfortable position he couldn't help a low hiss of pain as he jostled his bruises and sore muscles, "guess I feel pretty bad too."

Deciding that there was not much that he could do at that moment to free himself, Fuery relaxed and fell into a light doze. The rain continued to pound on the shabby roof and the dim shafts of light from the outside world began to disappear as the weak daylight turned to grey evening.

Before completely allowing himself rest, Kain thought to himself, 'I really hope my glasses are alright, I probably won't be able to afford a new pair…' smiling slightly despite his situation, he settled back against the loft support, glad to at least have something to lean on. 'I guess I should start brewing an escape plan' he considered idly, 'now would be a good time to have Breda and Havoc around, they're good with stuff like that, or even lieutenant Hawkeye… but I guess they wouldn't let themselves get in a situation like this... especially Hawkeye.'

A pang of loneliness hit him, and even though all of Kain wanted nothing more than his friends and teammates to remain safe, he couldn't help but wish for some companionship in that dim place.

It was at that moment that crash rang out from the corner where the old buggy sat; turning as far as he could to see who the intruder was Fuery had to bite back a laugh.

Stalking towards him was a mangy old cat, half soaked and no doubt looking for shelter from the rain. The creature approached him warily and sniffed at him; then deciding it was safe, proceeded to leap onto the Sergeant Majors lap. Smiling as his silent wish for company came to pass, Fuery once again settled back against the support beam and began constructing a plan.

'I can figure this out,' he thought, 'I am a Sergeant Major of the Amestris Military, and I have a team waiting for me.' The rain continued to pour, and the light continued to darken.

'I can figure this out.'

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so there is chapter four; reviews are greatly appriciated, they keep me motivated!


	5. Chapter 5

wow, well it certainly took me long enough... sorry about the wait everyone! life has been hectic, but i really do intend on finishing this, even if it takes me a while... any-who, once again, i would like to thank all who reviewed, particularly Maryh10000, i am so glad to know that you care about this little thing!

this one might seem a little choppy and disconnected; i am trying to incorporate all of the characters (even thought i think this one favors Havoc) and get them to blend well together, so excuse me trying some stuff out. also, the places and citys mentioned by Mustang are cannon, so that was fun figuring all that out...

i would love to got feedback so please R&R! oh, and nothing is mine :)

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Jean Havoc could not typically be described as an overly concerned individual. Most often, he might be seen with a goofy smile on his face, a relaxed roll of his shoulders, and a trademark cigarette dangling from his lower lip; anyone who knew the man could confidently dub him a very casual person and they would be right in doing so.

Nevertheless, there were times when Havoc's relaxed persona would give way to something that was not so carefree. These occasions could be the result of anything but were usually related to one of two things.

The first most recognized trigger for Havocs bad mood would be any work related instance; whether he had a hard work load, had to go on the field, or was simply experiencing a difficult day. The second major cause for distress (and far more frequent) was typically Havoc's social life; it was common knowledge that the second lieutenant had rotten luck concerning his romantic escapades so it was easy to assume that if he ever seemed agitated or malcontent, it was because of a bad (or nonexistent) quixotic encounter.

It was also an often enough occurrence for Havoc to get riled up when one of his friends or comrades were in trouble; as much as he tried to mask it, Jean was a very empathetic person. That particular afternoon however, the second lieutenant's anxious behavior was stemming from something that was relatable to both the work and social sides of the mans life.

"Hav, seriously. Stop watching the clock." Breda growled, thoroughly annoyed. "I get that you're worried, but you need to relax."

For the past half hour, Havoc had been repeatedly glancing from the paperwork on his desk, to the office door and then to the clock mounted on the wall, all in a steady cycle. Needless to say, he was not getting much work accomplished and was proving to be a distraction for the other people who occupied the office.

Jean slumped in his seat, "Sorry Manny, I can't help it; I have this weird feeling that something is up with the kid…"

at this Edward, who was lounging on the office couch with a thick volume in his hands, looked up. "What do you mean?" he asked warily,

"Not you Ed, he means Fuery…." Hawkeye corrected from her desk without looking up from what she was doing.

Edward nodded in understanding, losing interest in his book. "Yeah," he commented, "I guess it is kinda weird that he hasn't shown up yet. Where was he supposed to go again?"

"He went to go and fix the phone lines for our wing of central." Put in Falman who up until this point had been focused on his work; "The outpost that he was supposed to go to is outside of Central… Regardless, he should have been back long ago, or at least reported in by phone."

Ed grunted in understanding, dog-eared the page he was on in his book, then shut it. Alphonse, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor against the wall by Hawkeye's desk, asked "Isn't the weather really horrible though? He could just be waiting out the storm in someone's barn with no way to communicate; there are plenty of explanations for him being so late."

Havoc smiled towards the suit of armor, "I guess you could be right Al, still… I don't know."

Breda nodded in understanding, "Havoc's right, it really is unusual for the little guy to be absent this long without communicating his whereabouts." For a moment everyone in the room remained silent, all staring out the window at the relentless storm and the quickly darkening sky.

It was Breda who broke the silence, "Ya know, I bet he just ditched; he probably skipped out on us and went home, or maybe found some animal and decided it needed to be taken care of or something… you know how he is…" his tone of voice suggested that he was trying to convince himself.

"Honestly though," said Hawkeye putting her pen down, "I thought we've been over this; the sergeant major is dependable when it comes to his duties."

Breda shrugged, "Fine," he said in mild annoyance, "do you have any ideas where the kid is?"

Riza paused for a moment, but not before slipping the red head a cool look. "I am sure there is a perfectly justifiable reason for him being so late. Like Al said, it could just be because of the storm; we will just have to ask him when he finally arrives." The First Lieutenant sounded confident; however there was a worried crease on her brow.

Ed cocked his head in confusion; "I get that you guys are bothered by this. I mean, the weather lately has been pretty bad…" his voice faltered for a moment and unconsciously he reached up to rub his right shoulder, "but seriously," he refocused, "don't any of you guys ever ditch or get here late or something? It shouldn't be that big a deal."

"Well, that's just it," replied Falman patiently. "It's no surprise for them to be late," he jabbed a finger towards Breda and Havoc (evoking small cries of indignation from both men), and towards the Colonel who had not yet involved himself in the conversation.

"But Fuery, the First Lieutenant and I are in most cases quite good at being where we need to be when we need to be there. I'm not saying that to make ourselves look better then the others, or to imply that the Colonel and the second Lieutenants are lazy slobs;" (at that statement, Ed smiled maliciously) the warrant officer ignored this and continued, "it's simply the fact that several of us are better at maintaining decent attendance."

Ed and Al simultaneously nodded in understanding, "huh… I guess I see where you are coming from and why you are so concerned…" said Alphonse thoughtfully.

Ed looked doubtful though appeased; he shrugged, then opened his book back up and turned to the page he had saved, "Still, I think you guys should relax" he added before once more immersing himself in his tome.

The office remained quiet for a short while; nothing but the sound of pens on paper and the quiet shuffling of files broke the silence. Havoc had finally managed to refocus on his work, but there was still a certain level of unease permeating the room. Things were smooth for nearly half an hour until Colonel Mustang rose from his swivel chair and turned to look out side the large window that was behind his desk.

At the discovery that one of his subordinates was missing, he had remained calm, saying that he was sure Fuery was simply late and that they would wait to execute the office meeting until he arrived. He had then sat and finished the meal that Lieutenant Hawkeye had brought him, made two phone calls, took Edwards report in a rather uneventful manner, barked at Havoc to once again make more coffee, then actually sat and completed an impressive amount of paperwork (to his own standards at least).

He had been strangely quiet for the greater part of the day and it was quite plain that he too had been sneaking peeks at the clock that hung on the office wall. Nearly three hours had passed since everyone had returned from lunch and the Elrics had arrived, but still, Mustang had made no move to debrief his men; at least not until now.

As he stood and looked out into the ever darkening sky he clenched his fists. What was taking Fuery so long? He deeply hoped that what Al had said earlier had been correct, but he knew his men too well.

This was quite unlike anything that the communications officer had ever done, and he felt that that fact alone was a justifiable reason for worry. Still, he couldn't do anything, at least not until later.

If he requested to send a squad of men out to look for the Sergeant Major, not only would he look laughable for being so worried about a low ranking officer who had only been missing for an afternoon, but he would also likely have to disclose the reason for his worry which was of course, the information about the Drachman invasion.

At the moment, that material was meant to remain a secret. Only the Brass and a select few amount of others knew about it; Mustang was one of those others, and the only reason he had been informed was because he and his unit had been deemed the right team to take care of the trouble.

"As silently as possible" is what he had been told; however, if members of his team were already disappearing and he had not even had the opportunity to explain the matter to them, what could he do? Deciding that he had waited for Kain long enough, Mustang had stood from his chair feeling grim.

He had to inform his men about their new assignment; he knew that in any circumstance, they would be able to function well, even if one of their own had disappeared… his unit after all, consisted of trained, strong, dependable soldiers. They were the best in his opinion, though he seldom voiced that aloud. Tomorrow, if Fuery was still missing he would take action, but for now he needed to let his unit know what their new objective would be.

Turning from his window, mustang addressed his team, "Alright men, I am afraid that we have waited for the sergeant major long enough… I need to let you all know what our new mission is."

His staff all looked up, some with anxious looks on their faces. Breda stood from his desk and moved to join Ed on the couch so he could directly face the colonel; the others followed with Hawkeye, Alphonse and Falman standing. Havoc simply pulled his chair over. Mustang might have in other circumstances been annoyed with their nonchalant attitude toward the debriefing we was about to do, but at the moment he didn't much care. Reaching into a drawer on his desk and pulled out a thin manila folder; gathering his thoughts, he opened it and leafed through some of the documents inside. Finally, he pulled out a particular report and addressed the men in front of him.

"As I informed you this morning, I was asked to attend an urgent meeting with several of the higher-ups this morning regarding an infiltration from Drachma." he paused, eyeing his audience, "Fort Briggs reported being engaged in several skirmishes along the border near Sheb, Tagy and Semoy though none have been too troublesome; however, it came to their attention that while these brief fights were being dealt with, the enemy had something else up their sleeve.'

"Soldiers posted along the northern border reported seeing a small group of men making their way down towards Creta. We kept a tab on this group of travelers, but they were never engaged… they never gave us a reason to engage them…." he sounded annoyed.

Again he continued; "Reports were being passed along the border patrols to keep a sharp eye out for these men, however, when the group reached the split between North and West city we lost track of them."

Mustang looked up from the report to see if his team were following along, they all appeared to be listening intently; he could see that Breda was writing something down and had drawn a small map of the area that he had just informed them about.

Satisfied, Roy continued, "The last place they were spotted by military personnel was far outside the border of Emzagew, where they appeared to be heading farther inland to their own country. That was nearly two months ago. All of the information and alerts were dropped seeing as nothing happened and there was no trouble; however, about a month ago we received a report from the western city of Heug that there were a group of foreigners who were causing trouble."

"Some people were sent out there, but we were unable to find who we were looking for though it was confirmed that the foreigners were Drachman. Two weeks ago we again were alerted to a commotion going on outside of Erdokos which as you know is uncomfortably close to Central city; reports claimed that the people responsible were foreigners and descriptions matched those of our Drachman visitors. From that point in time, we have little to no reliable information, but these visitors of our are making a pretty little trail of bread for us to follow."

Sighing, mustang again looked up from the report he held in his hand. Making eye contact with each of his subordinates in turn, he spoke very clearly and deliberately, "It has been placed upon this unit to find and detain these intruders. We do not know what their true objectives are, but it is safe to assume that they are not here on friendly terms given the fires they have been setting in their wake. Aside from what I have told you, we are on our own information-wise, though I do have a few tricks up my sleeve…" this last statement he said almost to himself, a small smile barely visible on his lips.

"I know that it is getting late, but this is going to be taking up a lot of time for the next couple of days, or even weeks. Starting tomorrow, we will be doing a lot of field work, so I want you all to be prepared for whatever we get ourselves into." he sat back down in his chair. "Any questions?" the room was silent for a moment as everyone soaked in the information.

Finally, Falman spoke up, "Sir, if this is such a large concern, how come we don't issue a warning to citizens that there are dangerous foreigners running around in the area? Shouldn't they be aware so that they might protect themselves?"

Mustang nodded, "I can understand your concern Falman, however I was given direct orders from the brass to keep this operation as quiet as possible for two reasons. The first is that we don't want people to be running around in fear or for this to get blown out of proportion and turn into chaos; the second reason is because up until this point, we are pretty sure that they have no idea we are onto them…. We would like to keep it that way. It helps to ensure that their guard is down when we make our move."

Falman nodded in understanding, and Breda smiled. His forte was strategy and tactics so he couldn't help his appreciation for a good plan.

Ed snorted, "Yeah, well that's great, but still, not informing people just leaves them in harms way…"

At this Havoc sidled over to Ed and put an arm on his shoulder in a patronizing manner, "Aw come on boss," he smiled, "haven't you ever heard of the term 'Ignorance is bliss'?"

Ed shoved the second lieutenant away with unnecessary force… "I get it, but I still don't like it."

Hawkeye rested a comforting hand on Ed shoulder from behind, "we don't always get to like what we do," she reminded him.

Mustang stood once more and looked at the clock, it read six thirty-two. "Well, now that you have all been informed, I am going home," he moved to gather his coat and began heading out the door.

His subordinates moved to clear their desks and follow his lead when suddenly he stuck his head back in the door as though he had forgotten something.

"As for Fuery... For now we will just assume he is safe…. If we have not heard from him by tomorrow morning, well…. I suppose we will just deal with that tomorrow…" he nodded as though to assure himself and then once again disappeared out the door.

The staff watched him go, anxiousness once more a tangible thing that filled the room; Ed and Al said their goodbyes and went to claim an empty dorm, followed by Falman who said he needed to go to the library.

Havoc was finally ready to leave, but Mustang's comment had brought him back to his missing teammate. Looking around, he locked eyes for a brief moment with Breda and Hawkeye, both of which knew his mind better then anyone.

"Don't worry Hav," said the intelligence officer clapping his hand on Havoc's back.

Riza simply smiled "Count on Mustang, he knows what he is doing."

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welll, there you have it, Chaptuh Five! let me know what you think! don't forget to review!


	6. Chapter 6

Hey peeps, i want to apologize for the long wait; unfortunately, my computer died a horrible death and with it, all of my everything on it. Sad Day. Any-who, thankfully i got my hands on this halfway decent model i am currently typing on, Yay! So, i lost allot of story with that whole screw-up, but never fear, i intend to work this bad boy till it is done.

I would like to thank all of you who reviewed this past chapter; it really encouraged me to continue. you guys are awesome!

In other news, I was remarkably lucky and found myself with a four day pass to anime expo this year; its been a week since, but the adventure was awesome! PLUS i got to meet Vic Mignogna and go to his concert+panel! it was rockin! (for those who don't know, he is the voice of one Edward Elric) so Hoohah for that!

This particular chapter focuses on Vato Falman and Scheska; i want to spend a little time with each of the characters, but never fear! Fuery will be here next chapter! (Reviews just might make it happen faster, lol)

I own nothing, and enjoy!

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Chapter 6

Falman walked leisurely up the large steps leading to Centrals enormous library. It was only seven in the evening, and while most people would go home or look to dinner once they got off work, Vato had vouched instead to fill his ever thirsting mind.

He often enjoyed strolling through the vast library, filled with its thousands of books; thick tomes detailing forgotten histories, rich stories, books of science and old military schematics that were now wasting away. Quite a few of the shelved halls were covered in a fine layer of dust… proof that many of the books had not been touched in a long time. The air was also rich with story: it held a distinct musty smell that would remind one of cut pine, dust, damp and parchment.

Overall, Falman loved the place. It was quiet, and no one would disturb you; there was fact, fiction, theories and ideas, all in a single easily accessible place. The Warrant Officer thought back to when he had heard the news that the first branch had burned down. Even thought that particular area was only meant for high ranking officers and alchemists, he had managed to visit there on several occasions, mostly due to his running errands for the colonel.

'It really is a shame that so much of that precious information was lost to the flames,' he couldn't help but think to himself. 'I wish I had been able to spend more time in there…' as he mused, Falman reached the great double doors that were the entrance to the impressive library. Opening the door, he left the cold, wet grey of the evening behind him and stepped into the inviting light.

Once inside, the officer made a beeline for one of the wings of the building. This particular area carried old military stratagems and was restricted from many lower ranking officers. Even if had little rank on him, Falman (and his direct superiors) was well known in the library, mostly due to his spending such a great deal of time there already.

Often, he helped the librarians with his encyclopedia-like mind, and it remained a running joke that the book keepers should simply leave their jobs and work for Falman. He was after all, a library on legs. Vato could not help but smile a bit at this thought; people were so silly. Brushing this away from his mind, he continued on his set course and, once allowed access to the desired section, began to gaze over the titles lining the shelves.

He wanted to see if he could find anything regarding past plots or encounters with outside espionage. He sincerely doubted that there would be anything in here that would be of much help or if he could find anything that he did not know already, but by simply being in the library, he felt as though he could truly think. His mind became clear and receptive; it seemed to organize itself when surrounded by so much order. Slowing his walk even more so that he might fully soak in what he was looking at, he began to browse the heavily laden shelves.

Just as he was picking up what looked to be particularly inviting book, a shriek shattered the quiet of the library. A loud thump, followed by the sound of falling books came directly after. Concerned and surprised, Falman rushed two aisles over, heading to where the noise originated. There, to his great surprise, he spotted a familiar, mousey looking girl sprawled out on the floor. Books that had dropped off of the shelf were scattered everywhere and a short ladder that one might use to reach the top ledge was on its side.

"Miss Scheska! Are you alright?" Falman quickly bent down on one knee to see if the girl was even conscious, only to have her respond with a deep groan.

"Ow, that really hurt," slowly, she sat up and began rubbing the side of her head. For a moment, she did not seem to realize that any one else was there, then looking up, gave a startled cry of embarrassment.

"Oh! Warrant Officer Falman, how are you?" Just like that last time he had seen her, Scheska was blushing an alarming shade of pink; uncertain of what to do, but wanting to make sure that the young lady was alright, Vato began to stand.

"Um, well, I am doing fine; thank you. But really, I think I should be asking you that question; did you just fall from the ladder?"

Scheska looked up from her position on the floor to the top shelf; the distance really was an impressive fall.

"I guess I did, didn't I," she responded, "well, that's just sad" she snorted, "even by my standards…"

Falman fought to quell the small laugh he felt wanting to escape at that statement; returning to the moment at hand, he pressed "Are you okay?"

The girl rotated her wrist for a moment, then moved to get up; Falman quickly went to assist her. After pulling her up, Scheska brushed off her pants before turning and smiling back to the warrant officer, "I think I am fine, thank you so much for your help Officer Falman,"

Falman waved off her thanks, then turned back to the book strewn aisle.

"Would you like some help in cleaning this up?" he questioned.

The girl turned to see what he was looking at and let out a small cry of despair.

"Did I do all this? Oh, they will never let me come in here again!"

All along the floor were books that Scheska had taken down with her during her fall. Some had flown open and their pages were splayed everywhere; on others, the bindings were bent backwards and looked as though they would be in pain if they could feel.

"This is awful, those poor books!" the girl quickly bent down and began picking up the volumes, flattening the creases in the papers and returning their spines to their normal positions.

Falman instantly moved to help her and before long, the entire row was cleared and returned to order. Once the last tome was in its proper place, Scheska turned to Falman.

"Again, thank you so much, I greatly appreciate your help; if one of the librarians had come and seen that mess, I would have lost my book privileges for sure!"

Falmans eyebrow raised at this, "Why would you loose your book privileges? Do things like this happen often?"

The private laughed nervously, "Well, it certainly happens more often then it should…"

Falman smiled at that; he was glad that he had ended up meeting Scheska here. True, she was a bit odd, but the military man could not help but think that she was very interesting and funny too. Forgetting about his initial plans to haunt the library, Vato turned to the young lady who was currently reorganizing a series of misplaced books.

Abrubtly he spoke, "Excuse me miss Scheska, I was wondering, would you perhaps accompany me to the tea shop across the street?"

He was not sure what had made him ask, but he suddenly felt the urge to kick himself.

'Wow, Falman, you just met her today and you are already asking her out? How could I be so stupid!'

Trying to regain his composure, he quickly added, "only, well, because I would like to uh, talk with you about, um… books," he finished lamely.

Scheska blinked at him from behind her thick glasses, then, to his surprise, smiled.

"Why, that sounds really nice officer Falman; I would love to go with you. Besides," she paused, a look of thoughtfulness on her face, "its perfect weather for tea, and that place is very good."

Vato returned her smile, then, together they set off for the exit to the building.

Upon leaving the library, they saw that the sky had quickly grown dark, and the rain had still refused to let up. Chunks of light from the lit streetlamps managed to shine weakly through the gloom, barely illuminating the muddy streets. Shop lights were still visible, declaring their open state seeing as though it was still mildly early in the evening; their bright lights however, did little to provide one with visibility on the street.

There, directly across the road was a small tea shop; it had a warm, inviting feel pouring forth from the well lit windows. A sign over the door bore a picture of a delicately painted teapot, and once someone entered, they would be welcomed inside by the delicious scent of spices and mint. Vato held the door, allowed Scheska to enter in front of him and then followed after. The shop was relatively empty, especially considering the fact that it was perfect weather for a lovely cup of tea.

"Hm, maybe everyone is at home because of the weather," Falman voiced out loud; Scheska laughed.

"That would make sense, I guess all the normal people are comfortable in their nice warm houses."

Together, Falman and Scheska made their way to a corner of the teashop, took off their coats and sat down. From where they were sitting, they had a view of the muddy street through the large café window.

Scheska fidgeted, "I have always liked this place," she offered, "I would always spend my breaks here when I worked at the library."

"Oh," replied Falman, "I like it here too."

For a moment, the pair sat in a semi-awkward silence, both mildly uncomfortable and choosing to glance about the building instead of making eye contact. The silence was broken when an older woman with salt and pepper colored hair came up to their table ready to take their order.

"Hello, what can I for you today dearies?" she asked in a kindly voice.

"Please, get whatever you like," Falman said in a rushed voice to his companion; the young woman nodded her thanks then turned to their hostess "One cup of chi vanilla tea please,"

Falman looked up at the woman, "Make that two, thank you" he said. The lady smiled warmly, then left to fix their drinks.

Initiating the conversation, the bespectacled girl spoke, "So, Officer Falman, I would be interested to know,,, that is, would you mind telling me what you were doing at the library? Any sane person would rush home after work in weather like this…" she gestured out the window.

"Well, I could ask the same of you," Falman countered with a quiet laugh in his voice, turning suddenly serious he said, "though I suppose it wont hurt to tell you some of what is going on," gazing out of the window, Falman momentarily lost himself in his thoughts, "as of today things in the office have become quite interesting…"

Scheska looked up, curiosity evident in her expression, "what do you mean?"

The warrant officer started, realizing that he shouldn't have said anything, "oh, well, its nothing…" he waved his hand casually, trying to think of a way to change the subject. Scheska was not deterred, instead there was a spark of interest in her eyes.

"Has something happened?" there was no alarm in her voice, merely inquisitiveness.

Falman looked away, "Well," he was hesitant. "yes and no; you see, colonel Mustang's unit, that is the one that you met today, we just received new orders for a mission. Nothing out of the ordinary for us,"

"But that's not what you meant, is it?" the girl pressed.

Vato looked away guiltily, "well, no. not exactly."

At that moment, the hostess of the tea shop came with their drinks and two slices of cake.

"I want you to try some of my raspberry Madeleine, on the house dears; just tell me what you think of it."

The two thanked her kindly, and once she had left them, Scheska immediately turned her attention back to Falman.

"Well, what happened?" she asked as she picked up the fork the woman had delivered with their desserts. The officer silently cursed. He had been hoping that the arrival of their drinks would distract the young woman from their conversation. Apparently, no such luck.

"If you must know," he said in exasperation, "Sergeant Major Fuery disappeared from work today."

To his great surprise, Scheska's fork dropped from her hand onto her plate, creating a loud clanking sound. Her eyes had gone wide and there was worry creased in her brow. For a moment, she was silent.

"What?" she finally asked in a quiet voice, "Kain is missing?"

Falman instantly felt bad for having said anything. 'Of course she would know Fuery, she had spoken of him earlier today in the mess hall,' putting a hand over his eyes, he apologized.

"I am sorry, you and he are friends, aren't you?" the girl had gone slightly pale; closing her eyes, she answered "yes, we are… friends…"

"oh," responded the officer, "well, I should tell you that it has not been that long, and we don't know if he is really "missing" per-say; after all, its only been since nine thirty this morning. He could probably just be stranded somewhere because of the rain, or maybe his car broke down… you know how the military jeeps are," Scheska looked up at Falman, a weak smile on her lips.

"yeah, I suppose." suddenly, she stood and picked up her coat off the back of her chair.

"Listen Officer Falman, I had a wonderful time chatting with you, but I really should get home. Perhaps I will see you tomorrow?" turning, she began to make for the door but not before stopping and speaking in a quiet voice, "Thank you for telling me about Kain." She then left out the café door, into the dark night.

Vato sat and watched her go, not sure whether to feel hurt or confused. Deciding on both, he too stood and prepared to leave but not before realizing that there was still hot tea and cakes on his table. Feeling bad about leaving the kind old woman's generous gift, he delicately wrapped the cakes in a cloth napkin and stuck them in his pocket. Picking up his cup of tea, Vato took a deep drink from the cup and left the rest.

All of the sudden, he really only wanted to go home. After gathering his coat and paying, the warrant officer left at a quick pace into the cold and bitter night.

'Fuery, you had better show up by the morning,' he thought as he walked down the street, 'you have more people then your team worried for you.'

* * *

well, there you have chapter six. please let me know what you think by dropping a review. also, on a side note if you are interested, take a peek at the C2 community i created entitled Chess Pieces. Its a collection of stories centered mainly on Mustangs men, many of whick are quite good! Cheers!


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